[time-nuts] Anyone have experience with this antenna?

[Dr. David Kirkby]

On 6 February 2018 at 03:33, John Green <wpxs472 at gmail.com> wrote:

> https://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Precision-L1-L2-GNSS-GPS-GLONA
> SS-BeiDou-RTK-CORS-survey-antenna/162718512935?ssPageNam
> e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
>
> Listed on eBay as a L1/L2 antenna with decent specs.


I used to work in the antenna industry selling 'professional' antennas -
not aimed at the amateur radio market. Many specifications are invented to
be better than a competitor. The competitors do it too, so it is not just
one company. If you sell antennas with valid specifications, it would be
next to impossible to sell them, as competitors will have higher
specifications.

Another RF engineer, who I don't know from working with antennas, said to
me that antennas are a still a charlatan's paradise.

With antennas, probably more than any other device, I would believe the
specifications if I could verify them. Unfortunately, for that sort of
antenna, I don't know how to verify them.

If nothing else, I would ask the seller for a copy of the test reports that
back up the specifications.

I got a couple of WiFi antennas free from eBay, after proving the gain
specifications were vastly exaggerated. Depending on the phase of the moon,
the numbers that came up in last months lottery, eBay policy changes with
reguard to who pays the return shipping fee on items that are not as
described. If you can show its the seller, then in many cases they will not
wish to pay the return cost.

Dr David Kirkby Ph.D C.Eng MIET
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
Registered office: Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3
6DT, United Kingdom
Registered in England and Wales as company number 08914892
http://www.kirkbymicrowave.co.uk/
Tel 01621'680100 / +44 1621-680100 <01621%20680100>